actually the arizal held one should keep your payos short
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DudeSep 1 '14 at 1:24

@Dude: A source for your comment would be appreciated. Should you have a source I will edit my answer.
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Gershon GoldSep 1 '14 at 13:21

1

I don't have a direct source for the arizal but looking at my gutnik eddition of the chumash... "according to the chabad custom the payes may-and indeed-should-be trimmed with scissors. This is based on the precedent of the Arizal(founder of the dominant system of kabalistic mysticism on which chasidism is based) of whom it is explicitly documented that he trimmed his peyos with scissors. Thus, it is difficult to fathom why a person who follows in the paths of the Aizal would grow his payos long"
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DudeSep 2 '14 at 0:57

@Dude: If you read my link to Rabbi Chaim Vital he says that one may cut them with a scissor, however they should be long.
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Gershon GoldSep 2 '14 at 13:00

my comment was not in reference to chaim vital but in reference to the arizal who held they should not be too long as the beard and payos should be kept seperate
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DudeSep 3 '14 at 18:55

Question: Why do male Chasidic Jews have the long side curls in their hair?

Answer: The Torah says, "You shall not round off the peyos of your head"
(Leviticus 19:27). The word peyos refers to sideburns -- i.e. the hair
in front of the ears that extends to underneath the cheekbone which is
level with the nose (Talmud - Makkot 20a). The Talmud explains that
this law only applies to men, not to women.

Maimonides explains that the prohibition of “rounding” prohibits the
removal of sideburns, by razor, tweezers or any other means. Though it
is permitted to trim the sideburns, even very close to the skin, using
scissors.

Even though sideburns are enough to satisfy the Torah requirement of
peyos, many Jews grow their peyos long as a way of emphasizing the
commandment (Peyos sounds like pious, right?!), or simply of Jewish
identification. Some will curl their peyos, while others while tuck
them behind their ear. It’s just a matter of individual taste, or
communal custom.

Hair is also a symbol of vanity, a preoccupation of how one looks. The
prohibition against cutting off the peyos reminds a person to
de-emphasize his looks, and instead depend on intellect and good
character. (Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, 19th century Germany)

From a mystical perspective, peyos separate between the front part of
the brain which is used for abstract thought that can be used for
holiness, and the back part of the brain that governs the body.

"Maimonides explains that the prohibition of “rounding” prohibits the removal of sideburns, by razor, tweezers or any other means. Though it is permitted to trim the sideburns, even very close to the skin, using scissors." Isnt this internally contradictory? May the sideburns be cut with a scissors, or not. Interestingly in reality Rambam is of the opinion that the prohibition only includes cutting the hair with a razor.
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mevaqeshJun 22 at 18:10